As residents look to cool off this summer, the popularity of snow activities has significantly grown this year, according to Chinese-language media reports. Data from the country’s leading e-commerce platforms show that these activities have experienced double-digit growth.

Statistics from Meituan show that ticket sales for ice and snow amusement parks and indoor ice skating rinks in Shenzhen jumped 160% in July compared with the same period last year. Dazhong Dianping, a Chinese user-generated review platform, reported that searches for “Shenzhen indoor skiing venues” experienced a month-on-month increase of 62% in June. 

“We often received 3,000 visitors in a single day in July, and our business revenue doubled,” said the manager of Alps Ice and Snow World (Alps World), which is located in the Window of the World theme park in Nanshan District.

Opened in 2020, Alps World is one of the first venues in Shenzhen to offer ice and snow activities for recreation. It attracts people seeking winter-themed entertainment from across Guangdong Province.

“Alps World especially appeals to my daughter with its giant snowman and the ultra-long ice slide," said Liu You, from Guangzhou, who visited the venue with her daughter in July. 

Data from Dazhong Dianping also show that searches for Alps World and Longhua District's Karoo Ice and Snow World surged 87% and 95.5%, respectively, in July from the previous month. 

Karoo opened in March 2023 at the Mission Hills Sports and Eco Park. Its various ice and snow activities have made it a popular tourist destination this summer.

“What makes Karoo stand out from other winter-themed amusement parks is that it has snowflakes," said a resident surnamed Li, who was born and raised in Guangdong. “I love having snowball fights with my friends. It’s the ultimate winter fun for me.”

The allure of snow activities has also reached residents in Hong Kong and Macao, with people from the two regions traveling to Shenzhen and Guangzhou to escape the summer heat and enjoy winter-themed entertainment.